Shell drills in the arctic

November 12, 2012 6:49 AM

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Pete Slaiby, the vice president of Shell Alaska, surveys the scene on the drillship Noble Discoverer before leaving the vessel on Oct. 9, 2012. As Shell's top executive in Alaska, Slaiby is overseeing the company's new venture in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle) less

Pete Slaiby, the vice president of Shell Alaska, surveys the scene on the drillship Noble Discoverer before leaving the vessel on Oct. 9, 2012. As Shell's top executive in Alaska, Slaiby is overseeing the ... more

Workers step off a helicopter onto the Noble Discoverer during a crew change Oct. 9, 2012. The Discoverer is boring a well for Shell in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. Most Shell employees and some contractors on the vessel generally work three week shifts -- with three-week breaks in between the stints. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle) less

Workers step off a helicopter onto the Noble Discoverer during a crew change Oct. 9, 2012. The Discoverer is boring a well for Shell in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. Most Shell employees and some contractors ... more

A view of the 160-foot-tall derrick on the Noble Discoverer. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle)

A view of the 160-foot-tall derrick on the Noble Discoverer. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle)

A view of the 160-foot-tall derrick on the Noble Discoverer.... Photo-3689261.51837 - Houston Chronicle

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Onboard the Noble Discoverer, workers on the rig floor link up drill pipe. Shell is using the ship and its crew to finish the first half of a well in its Burger prospect in the Chukchi Sea -- with a plan to return next year and drill it to completion. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle) less

Onboard the Noble Discoverer, workers on the rig floor link up drill pipe. Shell is using the ship and its crew to finish the first half of a well in its Burger prospect in the Chukchi Sea -- with a plan to ... more

Kendall Duncan, assistant rig manager, and driller Sheldon Smith coordinate operations inside the drill shack on the Noble Discoverer. Duncan, who is from Poplarville, Miss., says he is still adjusting to the Arctic climate -- including the patches of ice that appear on the vessel. "It's like waking up in the Twilight Zone," Duncan says. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle) less

Kendall Duncan, assistant rig manager, and driller Sheldon Smith coordinate operations inside the drill shack on the Noble Discoverer. Duncan, who is from Poplarville, Miss., says he is still adjusting to the ... more

Shown here is one of the two cranes on the drillship Noble Discoverer, which Shell is using to search for oil in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. The cranes can't be used once the temperature dips below 0 degrees celsius -- a challenge in this chilly, Arctic environment. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle) less

Shown here is one of the two cranes on the drillship Noble Discoverer, which Shell is using to search for oil in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. The cranes can't be used once the temperature dips below 0 ... more

Shown here is one of the two cranes on the drillship Noble... Photo-3689267.51837 - Houston Chronicle

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The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle)

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle)

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea... Photo-3689268.51837 - Houston Chronicle

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The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle)

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle)

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea... Photo-3689269.51837 - Houston Chronicle

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Inflatable boom stretches between two oil spill response vehicles in Valdez waters during a Shell training exercise. When not at work, these two oil spill response vessels -- and a third -- will be housed on the Nanuq. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston Chronicle) less

Inflatable boom stretches between two oil spill response vehicles in Valdez waters during a Shell training exercise. When not at work, these two oil spill response vessels -- and a third -- will be housed on ... more

Workers on board the Nanuq unroll inflatable boom and fill it before casting it off into Valdez waters during oil spill response training for Shell. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston Chronicle) less

Workers on board the Nanuq unroll inflatable boom and fill it before casting it off into Valdez waters during oil spill response training for Shell. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston ... more

Priscilla Ridley holds a rope before equipment is hoisted on Shell's Nanuq oil recovery and supply vessel, during oil spill response training in Valdez, Alaska. The Chugagh Mountains are in the background. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston Chronicle) less

Priscilla Ridley holds a rope before equipment is hoisted on Shell's Nanuq oil recovery and supply vessel, during oil spill response training in Valdez, Alaska. The Chugagh Mountains are in the background. ... more

On the Nanuq, workers unroll inflatable boom and fill it before casting it off into Valdez waters during oil spill response training for Shell. The boom trailing behind the Nanuq is connected to an oil spill response vessel. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston Chronicle) less

On the Nanuq, workers unroll inflatable boom and fill it before casting it off into Valdez waters during oil spill response training for Shell. The boom trailing behind the Nanuq is connected to an oil spill ... more

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston Chronicle)

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (The Houston Chronicle)

The drillship Noble Discoverer is boring a well in the Chukchi Sea... Photo-3689276.51837 - Houston Chronicle

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FOR FUTURE STORY. DO NOT USE. JCK An aerial view of Barrow, Alaska. With a relatively small footprint of about 22 square miles, the city is home to just over 4,000 residents. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Houston Chronicle) less

FOR FUTURE STORY. DO NOT USE. JCK An aerial view of Barrow, Alaska. With a relatively small footprint of about 22 square miles, the city is home to just over 4,000 residents. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The ... more

FOR FUTURE STORY. DO NOT USE. JCK An aerial view of Barrow,... Photo-3689277.51837 - Houston Chronicle

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Pipes carry steam, produced gas, emulsions and other material between wells and a steam-generation facility at the Surmont oil sands project Conoco Phillips operates in Alberta, Canada. Conoco Phillips' partner on the project is Total E&P Canada. Surmont is located about 40 miles southeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta, in the Athabasca oil sands region. At Surmont, Conoco Phillips extracts bitumen from the oil sands using an in situ technique known as steam-assisted gravity drainage. (Jennifer A. Dlouhy /Hearst Newspapers / The Houston Chronicle ) less

Pipes carry steam, produced gas, emulsions and other material between wells and a steam-generation facility at the Surmont oil sands project Conoco Phillips operates in Alberta, Canada. Conoco Phillips' partner ... more